Aftermath
by Fb-PHE13
Summary: FitzSimmons were lucky to make it out alive. They should have died in that box, but they didn't. That doesn't mean they got out unharmed. Nightmares plague them, bodies sore and injured from the tumble, and being in water brings them panic. What they hide from each other is the fact they thought they would never see each other again.
1. Chapter 1

Screaming.

That's the first thing Fitz jolted up to when he woke in the middle of the night. He sat up in bed, staring out in the darkness as his chest swiftly. The screaming soon faded out of his head, and he wiped his brow, which was damp with sweat, as he ignored the aching in his side.

It took him a moment to realize he could hear faint sounds of crying.

_Jemma._

Fitz quickly scrambled out of bed and headed to the adjoining room. The doors separating their rooms were opened, and through the dark he could see her tossing and turning in bed, still crying out softly. He headed over to her bed and sat down next to her, shaking Simmons awake. She bolted upright, eyes wide with panic as she gasped for air. Fitz pulled her into him, feeling her shudder.

They both stayed silent for a few minutes before Simmons mumbled, "Sorry for waking you, Fitz."

"You didn't wake me," he assured softly. "I was having nightmares, too."

Once more, silence engulfed the pair. Neither of them bothered asking what the night-terror was about. They were both still recovering from the whole ordeal.

Tumbling through the air and splashing into the ocean; being surrounded by water as they kept sinking down…

Fitz felt the breath catch in his throat and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to forget about it, his side now aching even more. He didn't realize he held Simmons a little closer, and if she noticed, she didn't say anything about it or try to pull away from him.

He wanted to stay and protect Simmons, even though he knew he couldn't fight against a nightmare they both shared, but he had to go back to his bed. Neither he nor Simmons wanted to play twenty questions with Skye if the hacktivist decided to use the other key card she stole from Simmons to get into the room. They both knew Skye would not leave them alone if she found them sleeping together; sexual or not.

"Goodnight, Simmons," Fitz whispered before reluctantly pulling away from her.

"Goodnight, Fitz," she called softly, watching him leave her room.

Fitz crawled back into his own bed and stared up at the ceiling, unable to fall back asleep. They were extremely lucky to get out of that box alive. They were lucky that the quarter tracker still worked despite it being crushed under his weight when they were falling. They were lucky that their team found them and not HYDRA.

He didn't want to believe Ward was evil, but after he let them fall, Fitz realized there was no hope for Ward. Ward had the opportunity to help them and take down Garrett, but he let them down.

Fitz got up once more and headed into the bathroom, flicking on the lights. He turned on the faucet and splashed water onto his face, trying to clear his head. However, it only made it worse, and he quickly shut off the water, drying off his face with a small towel as he focused on calming his ragged nerves.

He hated the fact his fear was dictating his life. It was stupid, but he couldn't brush it off.

Sighing heavily, Fitz turned off the light and headed back to bed. The pale light of dawn was shining in the small cracks between the curtains, and he knew sleep was now impossible. Sitting at the edge of the bed, he stared down at his hands. Swallowing heavily, he remembered his hands red with blood as he and Simmons struggled to stop the bleeding from a gash in his side; the same side that was now making him uncomfortable.

It was worth it, though. Simmons wasn't the one bleeding out in front of him. It was worth taking the blow for her.

A knock on the wall startled him, and Fitz looked up to find Simmons lingering in the doorway of their rooms. "Mind if I keep you company?"  
"Of course not," he replied, and Simmons walked over, sitting next to him and gently leaning against him.

"Saw your light on," she whispered softly. "Everything okay?"

Fitz almost told her everything was fine, but knew better than to lie. They were both still in shock. "No, I'm not," he admitted quietly. "I can't even get my face wet."

"Neither can I," she said, gently taking his hand into hers.

Silence lapsed between them, but it was comfortable silence.

Fitz was tempted to tell her about his nightmares, just like they used to do back at the academy, but didn't want to worry her. He didn't want to burden her when she was already having her own night-terrors.

He had a feeling that was also why Simmons didn't tell her nightmares to him.

Simmons gasped suddenly, and Fitz instantly wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. "Sorry," she murmured, obviously embarrassed. "I drifted off and I saw…" She didn't need to say anymore, he knew what she was going to say.

"Remember back at the academy, how we always told each other our nightmares?" Fitz asked, and Simmons nodded. "I-I think it would be good to start that again… if you're comfortable with that, I mean. We don't have too."

"I want to," she replied, her voice sounding stronger. "It's a good idea, Fitz."

They pulled themselves onto the bed so they could face each other. Fitz offered to start, but he took a moment to gather his thoughts. "It's always the same," he whispered, unable to look up at Simmons so he stared down at the blankets. "Ward is watching us as we fall out into the ocean, but you tear your side open instead of me." His body shook, and Simmons took his hands. He gazed up at her, and his shaking stopped. "Your blood was everywhere, Jemma, and I couldn't stop the bleeding." He looked down again, tears pricking his eyes. "But you didn't die. We're saved, but it's Garrett who finds us, not Coulson. Then he… he shoots you…" Fitz's voice cracked and he stopped talking, handing his head as silent tears rolled down his cheeks.

Simmons pulled him to her, gently running her hand through his tangled curls. Fitz closed his eyes, feeling safe with her. He wrapped his arms around her as well, letting her gather her thoughts as well. He wouldn't push, and if Simmons didn't want to talk, he was fine with that.

"We're running, trying to escape the HYDRA agents," she began, her voice low. "We run into Ward, but we don't open the door in time." Her body shuddered, and Fitz pulled away, holding her close to him this time. "He shot you in the back as the door opened, and you pushed me inside before the door slammed shut." Fitz gently rubbed her back, feeling her body tremble as she started to cry. "I couldn't open the door again, and he shot you again in the head before opening the hatch and watching as the box fell out."

They sat there in silence, holding each other close as they both silently cried. It felt good to get it off of his chest, but it still hurt to say it.

"We're both safe now," Fitz assured softly and Simmons nodded, pulling away and giving a small smile.

"Yes we are," she agreed, letting her forehead rest against his. They were both calmer now that they finally revealed what their night-terrors were about. "I was so afraid I lost you," she murmured. "I thought the bleeding was never going to stop."

"It did," he whispered, giving her a small smile. "How's your head? I know you hit it pretty hard." He remembered it, too. It frightened him when he saw her head slam against a corner of something, and he was afraid it caused bleeding inside her skull. It didn't, thankfully, but it was still scary.

"Better," Simmons replied. "Still a little sore at times. What about your side?"

"Better as well, but also sore." He took her hands in his, squeezing them softly. "Thank you."

"Thank you?" Simmons echoed, her brow furrowing in confusion.

Fitz nodded, his smile growing a little bit bigger. "You saved my life."

Realizing what he meant, her gaze softened, and she returned his smile. "No, I should be thanking you. I know you took that blow for me." She leaned in and kissed his cheek, startling Fitz. "See you at breakfast," she whispered, pulling away and heading back to her room.

Fitz sat on his bed, dumbfounded as he rested his hand on his cheek which was tingling from her kiss. His smile widened, and he scrambled to get dressed.


	2. Chapter 2

Fitz soon joined the others at breakfast, just behind Simmons. Skye seemed half asleep, Triplett was stealing her bacon, May was watching them with vague interest, and Coulson was picking at his food.

Fitz followed Simmons toward the breakfast room, grabbing a plate. "How are you doing?" He whispered.

"Better," she replied, smiling at him warmly. "How about you?"

"Better as well," he said, returning her smile. As they grabbed something to eat, he couldn't help but notice how pretty she was. His face reddened at the thought, and he glanced away, following her out and back to the others.

After breakfast, Fitz retreated back to his room. His side was aching again, and he wanted to make sure it wasn't open.

Lifting his shirt up in front of the mirror, he looked at the injury, frowning. It was red, and it seemed inflamed. Thankfully, it wasn't deep enough for him to need stiches, so he didn't have to worry about that. However, he knew the tell-tale signs of infection, and he had a feeling simply cleaning it out with soap and water wouldn't cut it.

Rolling down his shirt, Fitz left his bathroom and made his way into Simmons's room. He realized he was limping a bit again, and he hoped no one would notice. "Simmons?" He called, stopping at the adjoining doorway and peering into her room. "Are you here?"

Simmons headed over to him, and he realized her bathroom light was on. "Everything okay, Fitz?" She asked, smiling softly. God, he loved that smile.

"I think the wound's getting infected," Fitz admitted, and Simmons nodded, not surprised.

"Come here and I'll clean it out," she said, turning and heading back to her bathroom.

He followed after her painfully and sat down on the side of the tub. On the counter, he noticed, was a tube of Neosporin, hydrogen peroxide, some cotton balls, and other medical supplies. "Is your head okay?"

"It is," Simmons assured as she grabbed the small bottle of hydrogen peroxide and some cotton balls. "I'm trying to keep it clean."

Fitz rolled up his shirt and sat up so she could clean out his wound, and he eyed the supplies again. "Where'd you find those? I thought the hotel didn't carry it."

"Skye went out and bought them last night," Simmons explained, sitting down next to him. Carefully, she dabbed the hydrogen peroxide soaked cotton balls onto his wound, and he gave a small gasp, startled by the cold and the sharp sting. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault," he assured, forcing himself to relax. "I just wasn't expecting it."

Simmons nodded and continued to clean out his wound. "You noticed it at a good time," she murmured. "If you waited any longer it would have gotten worse." She stood up and threw away the cotton balls, grabbing the Neosporin and pulling out a large bandage pad. Heading back over to Fitz, she dabbed Neosporin over the cut and patched it with the bandage. "There, that should hold for a while," she said, her voice carrying a note of confidence.

"Thank you, Simmons," Fitz said, smiling up at her as he pulled down his shirt.

She smiled back and helped him up too his feet. "Anytime," she answered, and for a moment their gazes lingered on each other, fingers still brushing. Finally, Fitz glanced away, a light blush tinging his cheeks. His gaze landed on the stack of towels, and he realized they had yet to be touched.

"Did you get new towels?" He asked, looking back at Simmons. She dropped her gaze and he realized why it hadn't been touched. He reached out a hand and gently grasped hers.

"I'm scared," she admitted slowly. "I tried to get in last night, but I couldn't do it."

Fitz gave her hand a small squeeze. "You're braver than me. I couldn't even turn on the water last night," he said honestly.

Simmons smiled sadly. "I know we need to get over the fear, but I couldn't breathe when I felt the water." She shook her head irritably, as if angry at herself for letting her fear get the best of her.

Fitz understood what she felt.

"You know I feel the same," he murmured. He hesitated, but decided to hold back his suggestion. However, Simmons brought it up instead.

She looked down at her feet sheepishly, running a hand through her hair. "Do… do you think you could wait in the hallway…?"

He nodded and promised, "I will." She looked back up at him, relieved.

"Thank you, Leo."

He retreated from the bathroom and carefully lowered himself to the ground, wincing. The door remained open, but he refused to look inside. He would not violate her trust or her privacy.

Fitz heard the shower turn on and Simmons gasp. He got to his feet and swayed, staying outside despite wanting to go in to help her. "Jemma," he called. "You're safe. You're not drowning."

"Right," she called back, her voice unsettled. "I'm okay."

Fitz stayed on his feet, not moving from his spot. He listened as she carried on with her shower and was relieved that she didn't panic again after the first time.

When she got out, he still did not look inside and waited until she came out of the bathroom. He looked up at her when she stood in front of him, and he noticed she looked much better. "Thank you," she said, smiling. "Would you like me to do the same?"

Fitz hesitated but nodded, knowing it was now or never. "Sure," he said, nodding. "Do you mind if I use yours?"

"Not at all," she replied and gently gave his hand a squeeze. "I'll be right out here."

Fitz headed into the bathroom, stripping off his clothes. Stepping into the shower, he took a deep breath to steal himself before turning on the water. Immediately, as the water sprayed onto his body, he inhaled sharply, starting to panic.

"You're safe, Leo," Simmons called, and he focused on her lovely voice. "Just breathe. Remember, you can get out whenever you want too."

Taking deep breaths, Fitz concentrated on that fact, focusing his mind on the fact he was in the shower and he could indeed get out whenever he wanted. He was not trapped; he was not drowning. "I'm okay," he answered, voice small, but he was feeling calmer. "I'm okay."

After he finished his shower, dried off, and got dressed, he left the bathroom. Simmons was waiting for him, sitting on the floor. Fitz sat down next to her and smiled. "We did it," he murmured, and she smiled back.

It was a little victory for them both.

**I'll be posting a new one-shot, and it will be a prequel to ****_Aftermath_****. So, it will have FitzSimmons in the box, and Simmons trying to stop the bleeding. Not sure when it will be up, exactly, but I am currently working on it. And this has now become a three shot, so expect chapter three to pop up soon...**


	3. Chapter 3

Fitz sat outside by the pool that night, looking up at the sky. He never appreciated it before as much as he did now. He and Simmons were very lucky to have escaped from that metal prison alive.

Sighing, he looked back at the pool, and he knew he would not go swimming for a while now. Rolling out his pants, he took off his shoes and socks before putting his feet in the water. His breath caught in his throat, but he forced himself to breathe and ignore the feeling of alarm.

"It's a nice night, isn't it?" A voice behind him said softly, and he turned his head, smiling.

"Sure is," he replied and moved over, giving Simmons rooms to sit next to him. She put her feet in as well, stiffening at the water lapping at her legs, but she took a deep breath to calm herself. "Thanks for helping me," Fitz said, leaning back.

"You're welcome," she answered, her smile crinkling around her eyes. "Thank you as well."

Silence fell between them, but it was comfortable, it wasn't the suffocating silence they felt in the metal box.

Simmons looked up at the sky, and Fitz glanced at her, smiling softly. She looked beautiful, and it was lovely to see the glow of confidence around her again. She noticed him staring, and his face reddened before he looked away. "Is something bothering you?"

"Uh, no, nothing at all," he said quickly, stumbling over his words as he refused to look back at her.

Fitz was still afraid to tell what was on his heart, but so was Simmons.

She gazed at him a little bit longer before glancing to the pool. "I don't know if I'll ever go swimming again," she said absently.

"Same here," he agreed. "We'll never know, though. Maybe we just need to try."

"Like we did earlier?" Simmons asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked back at him.

"Yeah, just like earlier," Fitz agreed and Simmons started laughing. His face flushed bright red when he realized what he had just said. "Okay, not exactly like earlier, but if we try to go swimming, we should do it together."

"Are you sure that's what you meant?" She teased, and he glared at her playfully.

"You know what I meant," he said, laughing as well.

It felt good to joke around with her again, and for a moment, they both forgot all about HYDRA.

Fitz rested his hand on top of hers, looking back up to the sky. It certainly was nice out, and he was glad to have Simmons by his side. She leaned against him, her head resting in the crook of his neck. He couldn't help but notice how wonderful her hair smelled, and he was tempted to kiss the top of her head. He didn't, though; he was afraid to. Even though he didn't, his heart still pounded giddily in his chest with her so close.

He wondered if she forgotten about the kiss she gave him on the cheek that morning after they told each other what their night-terrors were about. However, he was afraid to bring it up. He didn't want to ruin the relationship they had by trying to take it further.

"Want to try tomorrow?" Simmons asked, not moving her head from his shoulder.

"Try what?" Fitz said, glancing down at her with a puzzled expression.

She raised her head and nodded toward the pool. "Try to swim. If you want to, that is. I just think it would be easier to try it soon than to wait too long."

He paused, thinking about it before giving a small nod. "But we should take it slow," he advised. "Just wait in the shallow end before we go any deeper."

"Right," she agreed, pulling her feet out of the water. Standing up, she offered her hand to him. He took it and stood up, stepping out of the water.

He leaned down and picked up his shoes, walking next to Simmons as they headed back to the hotel.

Once inside, they headed back to their rooms in peaceful silence. Fitz stopped in front of his door and hesitated, glancing over at Simmons as she slid her keycard into hers and opened the door. "Would you like to watch a movie with me?"

She smiled and nodded. Fitz felt his heart lift as she said, "Yes, I would love too. I'll be right there." She slipped into her room and Fitz unlocked the door before heading inside.

He grabbed his pajamas and changed before plopping onto his bed, turning on the TV. Simmons soon headed into his room and sat down next to him, in her pajamas as well. His stomach growled, and she laughed. "Do you want to order room service?" She asked, reaching for the menu on the nightstand.

"Sure," he said, flicking through the movies. He smiled at her, glad to spend time with her while relaxing.

They called in their orders and browsed through the movies, ignoring the drama and action genre. They had reached a silent agreement to find a happy movie to watch, and were soon looking through _Disney_.

"I never thought I'd watch one of these again," Fitz muttered and Simmons laughed.

"Oh, it's not that bad," she said and pointed to the TV. "Look, Fitz! _Tarzan_! There are gorillas in that!"

"But they're not monkeys," he whined and Simmons playfully smacked his arm. Fitz laughed and leaned away from her, blocking her with a pillow.

There was a knock on the door and he put the pillow down, sliding out of bed and walking over to the door, opening it. He took their food and retreated back to the bed. Fitz sat down next to Simmons, who had taken the remote and was looking at him expectantly. "How about _Aladdin_?"

Fitz glanced at the TV and grinned, remembering how much he loved Abu. If Abu was real, he'd want Abu as his monkey. "That works for me," he said, nodding his head.

By the time the movie ended, their plates were cleared and Simmons was dozing off. Careful not to wake her, Fitz turned off the TV and took the dishes, taking them outside the room. He set them next to the door before slipping back inside.

He hesitated, debating whether or not he should wake her, but she looked peaceful. Smiling softly, he pulled the blanket over her and walked over to the other bed. He curled up under the covers and reached over to the nightstand, turning off the light.

Fitz jolted awake when he felt a soft hand shaking his shoulder, and he realized he was covered in sweat. Simmons was sitting next to him, looking down at him in concern. "You were crying out in your sleep," she whispered, brushing back a curl from his forehead. "Are you alright?"

He sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just that bloody nightmare again."

She nodded slowly, looking down at her hands. "I had it again, too." She gave a sad laugh. "I guess the talk didn't work this time. Maybe some nightmares are too strong."

Fitz glanced at her, and his heart broke at the sight of her hunched figure, and he knew she was ready to give up. "Screw it," he snorted, startled Simmons. He pulled her close to him, feeling her wrap her arms around him as well. Rubbing her back soothingly, he whispered, "I don't care what they think. I'm not leaving you."

That's when the truth came off of their hearts, and assured them they didn't need to play around their feelings any longer. They weren't going to get hurt.

**So, here's the final chapter of _Aftermath. _Hope you all enjoyed it! The prequel is up, by the way, and it's called _Together we Fall_.**


End file.
